High Point principals sign letter against seceding from Guilford County Schools

High Point principals sign letter against seceding from Guilford County Schools

HIGH POINT, N.C. — The principals of High Point have spoken, and they’re not interested in leaving Guilford County Schools.

The principals of High Point’s 25 schools signed a letter Thursday taking a strong stance against what they called a “surprise announcement” from Mayor Jay Wagner alluding to the possibility of pulling the city out of the county school system.

“City leadership should be advocating to county officials for increasing teacher pay in lieu of exploring secession from GCS at the very time when our schools are making unprecedented change and progress under current district leadership,” the principals said.

The principals said they are “proud to be a part of the Guilford County Schools under the leadership of our Superintendent, Dr. Sharon L. Contreras.”

The letter makes the case that students face a number of challenges starting outside the classroom including what they call “some of the most concentrated poverty in Guilford County and in North Carolina.” The letter adds that families face racism, poor housing, hunger, violence and joblessness.

“Our schools need more tangible assistance and partnerships, not more criticism from those in leadership,” the letter reads. “We need better public policies and authentic economic development that address systemic and structural inequities so that our children and families can thrive.”

According to the News & Record, Wagner called for a committee to study and find out if city schools have benefited from being a part of GCS.

If clear benefits were not found, he proposed looking into seceding and forming a High Point school system.

According to the N.C. Center for Public Policy Research, any decision to split the county school district and secede would require legislative action.